9 Best Oven Mitts to Protect Your Precious Hands

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Have you recently experienced that stinging pain from accidentally brushing your arm on a hot oven door or touching a cooking dish that you thought had cooled off? You’re not alone.

Every regular cook has experienced accidental burns from hot dishes, sweltering ovens, or splashes of hot oils and bubbling stews. For the safety of your hands as you handle hot cookware, you need a pair of heatproof potholders and mitts. A great pair of mitts will also provide a good grip as you hoist hot pots or pull baking pans out of ovens.

Below we’ve got a list of the best oven mitts for comfort, mobility, and heat protection.

These kitchen essentials will protect those hands from splatters and accidental burns, especially if you are your family’s chief chef and star baker.

How to Choose the Best Oven Mitts

Protecting your hands is the main purpose of a potholder or oven mitt. Here’s what to look for when you’re selecting a new kitchen mitt.

Material

The best material for an oven mitt is flexible, heat resistant, and provides a good grip. If you want something that you can display, you must take into account the attractiveness of the fabric. Cotton is attractive, lightweight, flexible, and affordable. But it stains easily and has low heat resistance. Silicone oven mitts are more expensive but they have high heat resistance and come in a variety of nonslip designs. Rubber gloves will give you a good grip but they are not very flexible.

Use

Before buying an oven mitt, think about how it will be used in your kitchen. While you can use lightweight options for day-to-day kitchen tasks, heavy-duty nonflammable mitts are better for barbecuing and cooking on an open fire. Mini mitts are great if you need something portable. Oven gloves offer more control especially when lifting lids and handling awkward pans.

Temperature Rating

When it comes to handling hot dishes, you need mitts that can withstand high temperatures. With a great oven mitt, you should hold or transport a hot dish for at least 30 seconds before you feel the heat. Oven mitts come with temperature ratings from the manufacturer. Some mitts can withstand up to 600℉. 

Ease of Cleaning

Your oven mitts will come in contact with splutters, spills, and grease. Check whether your mitts are safe for your dishwasher or machine washer and dryer.  

Size and Comfort

A good oven mitt should fit comfortably, mold to fit your hands, and give your arms great coverage. Standard mitts measure about 12” to 13” in length. But you’ll find gloves that are up to 15” long to protect your forearms. You can also choose mitts with extra layers for enhanced comfort and heat protection.

9 Best Oven Mitts

1. Overall: Kitchen Grips Chef’s Large Oven Mitt

by Sur La Table

This large thick mitt offers a sturdy grip due to its raised nubs pattern. It fits easily and has good insulation.

We love that this mitt is waterproof and protects against liquid and steam burns. It has a heat resistance of up to 500” F. At that temperature, you can confidently work with cast-iron pans and skillets.

Measuring 11” by 7.5”, this mitt will comfortably fit most hands. Plus, you can extend its cuffs for more forearm protection.

Better still, you can easily clean this durable mitt on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Note that it’s sold as a single piece.

2. Silicone: Five Two Silicone Oven Mitts

by Food52

Due to their 650℉ thermal resistance, you can safely use these oven mitts on any hot cooking appliance.

Exteriors are made of platinum-grade material that provides a great nonslip silicone grip. These versatile mitts are flexible, thin, and offer full wrist protection. For easy storage and quick access, these protective mitts are equipped with hanging loops and magnets.

They come in a selection of beautiful colors and designs so you can display them in your kitchen.

Additionally, they have a soft comfy cotton terry interior. They measure 15” in length by 7” wide at their widest points.

Plus, you can easily clean them in your washing machine and dryer.

3. Cotton: All-Clad ® Pewter Oven Mitt

by Crate & Barrel

I was pleasantly surprised by this cotton oven mitt. Rated at 500℉, it is better than most cotton mitts in handling the heat from your hot items. And with its embroidered gripping strips, it will prevent slips that send hot dishes crashing.

Its convenient elongated design will protect your hand when you are pulling that hot cookie sheet from the oven. This thick oven mitt is sturdy, well-made, and fits snuggly.

Moreover, it’s safe to machine wash on cold and tumble dry.

4. Mitt & Pot Holder Set: Win Change Oven Mitts and Potholders

by [amazon link=”B07YHKWSSJ” link_icon=”none” title=”Win Change” /]

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For a mitt and pot holder combo that won’t fail you, try this set. These pieces are quilted with thick cotton-terry lining. The mitt is flexible to enhance dexterity. And the 9-square inch pot holder will make a great heating pad on your countertop.

The set can withstand high temperatures of up to 400℉. Each piece comes with a handy loop so that you can hang them wherever you need to. They have a stylish geometric pattern. And you can choose from a number of delightful colors.

5. Gloves: Pitt Grilling Mitt

by [amazon link=”B01M69QKCS” link_icon=”none” title=”Charcoal Companion” /]

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Made of synthetic aramid fibers, this grilling mitt has a thermal resistance of up to 475℉ and offers excellent grip. The mitt gives each finger more flexibility and is great for handling heavy dishes and lids with small handles.

It has a cotton lining and a very snug fit. The heat-resistant fibers keep heat from penetrating the internal cotton layer.

Plus, this versatile mitt has stretchable form-fitting cuffs for forearm protection. It’s perfect for anyone who loves to barbeque and cook over an open flame.

6. Double: Silicone Striped Double Oven Mitt

 by Sur La Table

Do you dread spilling food on yourself as you carry it from the oven to the dinner top? Then perhaps you should try this double oven mitt.

It has a band that connects two oven mitts to protect your body from burns and drips. Apart from that, this double mitt has raised nonslip contact points that provide a secure grip on hot pans and handles.

The hand mitts have tough silicone exteriors and soft quilted cotton interiors.

This piece is machine washable and is oven safe up to 482℉.

7. Budget: Big Red House Heat Resistant Oven Mitts

by [amazon link=”B07C1JJQKH” link_icon=”none” title=”Big Red” /]

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Protect your hands as you handle steaming pots, hot pans, fiery grills, and much more using these highly-rated mini oven mitts. These affordable mitts are made with a mix of cotton and silicon for enhanced heat protection and flexibility.

Silicone strips offer anti-skid functionality so you can safely transport your meal. And we love the feel of the cotton terry interior. These mini mitts can handle temperatures of up to 480℉ and cover hands and the lower half of your forearms.

Better yet, you can pick up smaller items, stir, and mix ingredients without having to take them off. Plus, they are machine washable and come with a handy hanging loop. These mitts come in a number of colors that will suit most kitchens.

8. Space-Saving: Five Two Silicone Pot Holders

by Food52

Like all Food52 mitts, this potholder set is designed with premium heat-resistant silicone that has a thermal rating of 650℉.

The silicone covers one side of the potholders. On the reverse side, you’ll find double pockets that will give your hands a confident grip. The interior is lined with cotton terry that makes each piece soft and pliable.

These machine-washable pot holders can double up as trivets. And they come with convenient hanging magnets and loops.

9. Large Hands: Large Tile Oven Gloves

by Sur La Table

These roomy gloves provide superb protection and dexterity as you cook with hot kitchen tools and appliances. Their non-slip silicone pattern offers a strong firm grip.

Your arms and forearms will be well protected by the heat-resistant cuffs of these cotton and aramid gloves.

Plus, the gloves can withstand very high temperatures of up to 500℉. On the downside, these gloves don’t protect against hot liquids.

But, they are easy to clean by hand. You should only use them when they’re completely dry.

Oven Mitt FAQ

Holding Pots and Pans Since Before They Were Cool

Upgrade from old kitchen mitts and towels by selecting a great oven mitt from this list. These gloves and mitts can handle the heat in your kitchen. Plus, they are comfy, durable, and offer great maneuverability.

If your oven mitt has seen better days, then don’t hesitate to grab yourself some new kitchen protective wear today.

With the best oven mitts, you’ll make your cooking experience safer, easier, and more convenient. Plus, these essential protective mitts will make great gifts for your favorite cook.